As Student Midwives, many of you will have experienced or will experience time on general nursing placements...

Do you feel they are needed?

Where were they?

What have you gained from these?

Do you think they should be scrapped?

Opinions please!

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I can't really comment on this, as I haven't done my general placement yet, but I will be interested to hear what others that have think. Good topic Noo.

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Midwifemissy x

Student Midwife 2007
Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

Please help us raise funds for a bereavement room in Honey's memory by taking part in the SMNET Auction & Raffle here thanks x

Will you be doing them? Where will they be, Missy?

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Yes, I think we do them in 2nd year, and I think they are on gynae ward, but not 100% sure yet.

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Midwifemissy x

Student Midwife 2007
Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

Please help us raise funds for a bereavement room in Honey's memory by taking part in the SMNET Auction & Raffle here thanks x

We have a gynae ward and gynae theatre placement, which we do in first year (I start my gynae ward placement tomorrow). And yes, I think it will be very relevent. I will let you know if I think otherwise, but I doubt I will.

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Catches: 2 assisted.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/michelle-susie

Duel needs to reply to this...

I don't do mine until September.

we do outpatients, general, gynae, and two others I can't remember

I am dreading it tbh...

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Nici already knows my opinions on general placements!
But for those that don't know...
I HATE THEM!!! I spent 10 weeks learning nothing! I was basically used as a healthcare! 10 weeks of bed baths, bed making, commodes etc etc.. General placements actually did tip me over the edge (won't go into that further as its a bit personal) and I was ready to leave!
I spent half my placement on a gynae ward.. Which is a joke calling it that as there wasnt any 'gyane' patients!! It was all urology, cancer patients, orthopedics etc! I didnt have a mentor for this placement so was told to work with the healthcare and help them out!
Then I went to a cardiology ward, I had a mentor.. She was lovely and did try to show me things but it was just to busy so I was often sent to work with the healthcares..
I think it was a pointless 10 weeks which could have been spent in better places!
N e ways.. I'll stop moaning now!!

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Duel X
3rd year student midwife
SM.NET Stafford University Representative
Moderator

That's really sad to read Duel.

I did the DE training. I think the general ward placements are really important, so long as you are given the opportunity to use it as a learning experience and are not used as an extra pair of hands, as in Duel's case.

The majority of women that we see as midwives are fit and healthy. Therefore, when we do get women with medical problems, or women who undergo surgery during pregnancy, it's really important to have had some prior experience of nursing.

In the past there has always been a good balance of nurse-trained midwives and DEs. So, when there has been a woman on the ward with a specific medical/surgical need, these staff have been able to draw on their nursing experience and support the DEs. However, as the years go on, I believe there are going to be less and less nurse-trained midwives around. So gaining relevant experience during midwifery training is going to be even more important.

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I agree with Shoshana, although my view may be biased as i am a nurse. I think DE is great but i don't regret doing nursing first, hopefully some of my already learned skills will come in handy x

We have to do a general placement in year two.
We do one in Gynae and also one on the intensive care unit i believe.
Our lecturers pointed out to us that these placements are relevant to our training as we get a good "grounding" in all aspects and will be more capable to care for women with lots of complications.... Partly I agree with this.

However, prior to this course I spent 8 years doing all manner of care work, including psychiatric, palliative, learning disability, elderly and spent two of those years caring for a terminally ill woman with motor neurone disease in her own home.

I personally feel that I am competent to care for a wide range of people with a wide range of disorders/ilnesses/complications. Because of this I feel that my time on ICU may be a little wasted - my heart doesn't lie in general nursing and I feel (prior to the general placement) that I will not enjoy it.

However, (not all negative towards this...) I do think that gynae is kind of relevant to midwifery as we will care for women who have gone through gynae problems, and am actually looking forward to it in a weird sort of way. :-)

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Student die Hebamme und ich liebe es!
(Student Midwife and I love it!)